1,800 American rabbis and prayer leaders have sent a letter to the Israeli embassy in Washington DC calling for an end to the occupation and a concerted push for a Palestinian state.
The letter notes that the occupation “has inflicted misery and vast injustices upon millions of Palestinians” adding that, “in the name of Jewish values and for the sake of Israel’s democracy we urged the government of Israel to take all possible steps to end the occupation.”
The Times of Israel reported that the letter, addressed to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was transcribed on behalf of the Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, T’ruah.
Marking 50 years of Israeli occupation, the letter was delivered on Friday 9 June; the day the Six-Day War ended 50 years ago. The letter states that the T’ruah members “hold deep love for the State of Israel, and believe that the vision of the Hebrew prophets, cited in Israel’s Declaration of Independence, for a homeland committed to peace and justice, represents the most powerful guarantee of Israel’s future.”
1800 American rabbis send Open Letter to @netanyahu on the 50th Anniversary of the Six-Day Warhttps://t.co/TR4hY8hzde via @TruahRabbis
— SISO (@SISOMovement) 11 June 2017
The letter references the Six-Day War saying, “we celebrate the extraordinary victory that enabled Israel’s survival, and granted the Jewish people sovereignty over our holiest sites.”
However, the Rabbinical group recognises that “this victory inaugurated fifty years of occupation that has infringed on the human rights of Palestinians, left too many Israelis and Palestinians dead or injured, and continues to threaten Israel’s long-term survival.”
One of the rabbis who attended the embassy meeting in Washington DC said in a statement that, “for the past fifty years, both Israelis and Palestinians have been enslaved to an occupation that harms both parties”. He called upon the State of Israel to be a peace pursuing party, end the occupation and lay the framework for a viable Palestinian state, living alongside Israel in peace.
The letter has gained international attention from Jewish groups around the world who similarly disavow the 50-year long Israeli occupation.
The Israeli consulates in New York and Los Angeles are scheduled to receive the letter as well.
